The Lion and the Raven (Ficlet)
by AvatarofBahamut
Summary: Cullen/Mage!Inquisitor. Magdalene Lavellan writes in her journal concerning her impressions of her military adviser, the former Knight-Captain of Kirkwall, Cullen. She has not know him for long, but finds herself conflicted between her deep seated fears and her curiosity.


From Inquisitor Lavellan's Journal:

Dalish children are taught many things during the course of their upbringing. They are told that they are one of the people, who wander the world to hold onto their ways. We reject the world of those who once tried to rob us of our history and culture. We work to keep what we remember and recover what we have lost. This is what it means to be Dalish.

The Keeper is our leader, who guards the memories that we keep. Keepers are protectors and guardians. And, above all, it is a Keeper's job to remember the deepest of our secrets. Before the breach ripped open the sky, I was being trained for such a role. I was a first- an apprentice to the Keeper of the clan who took me in to harness my talents.

I did become a leader of sorts, but I bear a mantle other than Keeper. My clan is gone, and I now lead of group of humans, and others, as the "Inquisitor". I bear the weight of the world on my shoulders. Even so, I keep my lessons and my memories of my old life close.

Yet, there are some lessons I have revised or discarded. I've always been more curious of humans than angry. This is not a popular view with my people, I know that. In recent days, I no longer refer to them as "shemlen" unless my anger swells beyond my ability to temper it. I didn't really have a choice but to change my opinion, given the events that have befallen me. But, not only have I been able to feed my curiosity, I have met and befriended some truly amazing people. They are my clan now, and I refuse to lose them as I did the first.

There is one that is not as the others, however. I do not see him as a friend. As first to a Keeper, I was taught to fear people like him more than humans as a whole. You see, Keeps and their apprentices have something that most of the people do not: the gift of magic. We are what humans are other folk refer to as "mages".

The Dalish see magic as something to be honored, to be respected. It is both great and terrible, but it also is a fragment of our past that remains with us still. Humans, however, are much less understanding. Magic to them is something to be feared, and more often, it is reviled. Their magic-users are often locked up for the safety of all.

This man used to be among those who held the key to their gilded cages. Guardian, judge, and executioner describe them well, especially for those who step out of line. But the title they go by is "Templar". They are one of many reasons the Dalish do not tarry too close to larger human settlements.

This man, this Templar, was offered as my military adviser. He leads my soldiers, and I give him credit that he is bloody good at it. I allowed it because I saw how skilled he was as a military leader. But…I am afraid of him. I have admitted this to myself. But I would not confide this to anyone else. And I'd be damned if he ever found out. I would not dare be weak in front of someone who most likely sees me as a disaster waiting to happen. He is the exception to my willingness to trust humans.

And yet… this is not the type of man he has been around me. I much expected our relationship to be much like that of a Lion and a Raven. I am but a foreign breed of prey, a snack that mocks his predatory nature by being just out of his reach. Or so I thought. The nature of our interactions has betrayed my expectations.

His courage and his appearance are certainly like that of a lion. On the occasions that we have fought together, he has been a ferocious fighter. But he has also gone out of his way to be protective of me. And he has been mindful to assist me when I am running low on magical power. I am more inclined to think it is due to his obligations as the leader of my armies and his experience as a Templar at first glance. But this protective instinct extends beyond battle.

And then on the rare occasions we do get a chance to speak in a less formal setting…he has been cautious, as expected. But, he has been very kind, and thoughtful of others. He is concerned with helping the people of Thedas, making sure our works does well to help rather than hurt the innocent who are caught up in all of this. I have to admire him for that, in the sense that he acts more in the "guardian" role that some have used to describe the Templars.

I am the more guarded between the two of us, however. This is because of my old fear towards those of his order. Old lessons so intertwined with my emotions are harder to break. But my curiosity has been roused. Perhaps that same curiosity that allowed me to trust other humans might one day prove strong enough to overcome my fear. But for now, I keep a safe distance.

The advisers are meeting soon and I must make haste. I can only hope the work we do brings us closer to the truth, to closing the breach, to righting this terrible wrong.


End file.
